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The Harrowing Game
For fans of Junji Ito comes The Harrowing Game, a deliciously creepy manga-inflected horror graphic novel for adult readers.
The rules of the game are simple: Three ghosts gather to tell their stories in turn. Scariest story wins. Only the winner may move on.
For thousands of years, the souls of the dead have gathered to play the game. Tonight, the storytellers locked in this existential battle are a recently deceased girl with no memories, an old woman trapped in a mirror, and a smirking boy in a bathtub. Their terrifying tales span time and space, from the temples of ancient Egypt to the taxidermy labs of modern New England. Yet the same primordial evil lurks in the margins of each story. This presence tempts the innocent as well as the corrupted, and its hunger is boundless.
Drawn in exquisitely disturbing detail and full of twists you’d find in the finest horror manga, The Harrowing Game will leave you gasping.
The rules of the game are simple: Three ghosts gather to tell their stories in turn. Scariest story wins. Only the winner may move on.
For thousands of years, the souls of the dead have gathered to play the game. Tonight, the storytellers locked in this existential battle are a recently deceased girl with no memories, an old woman trapped in a mirror, and a smirking boy in a bathtub. Their terrifying tales span time and space, from the temples of ancient Egypt to the taxidermy labs of modern New England. Yet the same primordial evil lurks in the margins of each story. This presence tempts the innocent as well as the corrupted, and its hunger is boundless.
Drawn in exquisitely disturbing detail and full of twists you’d find in the finest horror manga, The Harrowing Game will leave you gasping.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published May 27, 2025
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120 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 8, 2025
I really enjoyed this comic!! The stories, the art, the lines, every aspect of it.
I specifically love the story of the blind lady. So short yet profound, and within just a few pages I was about to cry, and the author depicted a character who will stay in my mind for quite a while.
I love that the game happens in a place within and beyond the reality-real or not, the link between the game and the reality is mysterious and profound.
I love the symbolic touch of the book. The good & evil, the deer, the flies, the dead leaves…. They are like strings that connect the stories together, and makes the story worth reading and digging for multiple times.
Personally I really love that the tales began in Providence (a place that has a special place in my heart too). The touch of the streets, the school, they give a melancholy vibe (especially for me), catching the “storm under the calm” Providence mood really beautifully.
And the art is delightful-it has a great balance of rational and sensual. The book unravels in a nice pace, brought by the confident & calm touch of the lineart, and the emotion unleashed from the depiction of the mundane is really something that was sought by many but rarely achieved.
If you like mystery, fantasy and dark tales, I would definitely recommend this book!
I specifically love the story of the blind lady. So short yet profound, and within just a few pages I was about to cry, and the author depicted a character who will stay in my mind for quite a while.
I love that the game happens in a place within and beyond the reality-real or not, the link between the game and the reality is mysterious and profound.
I love the symbolic touch of the book. The good & evil, the deer, the flies, the dead leaves…. They are like strings that connect the stories together, and makes the story worth reading and digging for multiple times.
Personally I really love that the tales began in Providence (a place that has a special place in my heart too). The touch of the streets, the school, they give a melancholy vibe (especially for me), catching the “storm under the calm” Providence mood really beautifully.
And the art is delightful-it has a great balance of rational and sensual. The book unravels in a nice pace, brought by the confident & calm touch of the lineart, and the emotion unleashed from the depiction of the mundane is really something that was sought by many but rarely achieved.
If you like mystery, fantasy and dark tales, I would definitely recommend this book!
August 30, 2025
Spooky.
I had just listened to a chthulu story, and now this one - written within view of HP Lovecraft’s grave. Yikes.
Ghosts have to tell each other scary stories to move on to the next phase. But maybe there is something more to the stories.
I had just listened to a chthulu story, and now this one - written within view of HP Lovecraft’s grave. Yikes.
Ghosts have to tell each other scary stories to move on to the next phase. But maybe there is something more to the stories.
May 5, 2025
I recieved an advanced reader copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
At first blush The Harrowing Game is a story of three souls, trapped in a bathroom, each trying to tell the scariest story in order to escape this purgatory. However, I was very impressed by the repeating imagery that weaves it's way into each tale, and supports a larger - more frightening narrative.
The Harrowing Game was a good time (for me, as I'm not a player), and I hope to see more people enjoying it.
At first blush The Harrowing Game is a story of three souls, trapped in a bathroom, each trying to tell the scariest story in order to escape this purgatory. However, I was very impressed by the repeating imagery that weaves it's way into each tale, and supports a larger - more frightening narrative.
The Harrowing Game was a good time (for me, as I'm not a player), and I hope to see more people enjoying it.
May 26, 2025
I really liked the concept for this book, and i absolutely adored the art for it. The spreads were detailed and gorgeous, and the character designs were intriguing and nice.
I just - I felt that the story fell flat, and that it was incredibly rushed, and, don’t hate me, I didn’t find it that scary? The first story was pretty good and spooky, and the body horror visuals were amazing, but the next two weren’t great, which makes something that happens later in the book not make sense at all.
I felt that it was too rushed. The concept of the newly dead girl was really good and could have been really well done, but we got barely anything on her. The ending was also very rushed, just so we could have a gotcha moment and tie all of the stories together. I didn’t quite like it.
The last few pages were good, though. That felt satisfying. I also liked the deer motif.
But otherwise, yeah, I didn’t quite enjoy this one as much as I thought. The art was lovely though, very reminiscent of Junji Ito, but if you’re looking for stories similar to his, I wouldn’t really recommend this.
I just - I felt that the story fell flat, and that it was incredibly rushed, and, don’t hate me, I didn’t find it that scary? The first story was pretty good and spooky, and the body horror visuals were amazing, but the next two weren’t great, which makes something that happens later in the book not make sense at all.
I felt that it was too rushed. The concept of the newly dead girl was really good and could have been really well done, but we got barely anything on her. The ending was also very rushed, just so we could have a gotcha moment and tie all of the stories together. I didn’t quite like it.
The last few pages were good, though. That felt satisfying. I also liked the deer motif.
But otherwise, yeah, I didn’t quite enjoy this one as much as I thought. The art was lovely though, very reminiscent of Junji Ito, but if you’re looking for stories similar to his, I wouldn’t really recommend this.
February 19, 2025
Netgalley graciously provided me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is one that has appeal across different age groups - the stories are creepy enough for adults but not so creepy that will freak out teens or even slightly older kids. However, I think that is why I did not score it higher - it's only OK but not as scary as I was hoping for. I do, though, like the fun twist at the end!
This is one that has appeal across different age groups - the stories are creepy enough for adults but not so creepy that will freak out teens or even slightly older kids. However, I think that is why I did not score it higher - it's only OK but not as scary as I was hoping for. I do, though, like the fun twist at the end!
July 21, 2025
okay this was pretty interesting but it took me too long to lock in on and sit down with
the frame story aspect that you kept going in and out of was very engaging. you’ve got three characters each telling a scary story - scariest story wins. but the trick is the characters are dead and to win is to “move on” to a seemingly better place. through this, our characters tell several stories
it was very all wrapped up the way the two kids stories seemed to go together. they ended up having the same antagonist who meets up with them in the end. at first i was like annoyed by the too convenient coincidence of it all but then i guess that one kid said this was the goal all along so when you think about it, it wasn’t much of a coincidence for him. he said he waited like hundreds of years for this moment so that does imply it wasn’t random chance
i was not the biggest fan of the way the older lady’s (sol?) story didn’t really go with the main storyline but i’ll say her story wassss pretty creepy. the creepiest? idk but it was based in a relatable time with dating apps and cell phones in like 2016(?) where the thought of a lil demon creature that sucks onto your skin and slowly kills you is terrifying. and i guess all these stories were from some point in their lives so did she do this to someone? idk. and she just disappears and we don’t find out anything else
i was also confused as to why sol would appear as an old woman and then mido could appear as a kid when he didn’t actually die as a kid. like that implies that you can choose what form from your life to appear as in this realm. so like wouldn’t you think sol would make herself younger too? strange that she didn’t but maybe it just needed to happen that way
the girls story of getting hit by a car was more sad than scary. and i didn’t understand the weirdo villain that just HAD to kill her. like why? for what? he’s just evil? okay
the frame story aspect that you kept going in and out of was very engaging. you’ve got three characters each telling a scary story - scariest story wins. but the trick is the characters are dead and to win is to “move on” to a seemingly better place. through this, our characters tell several stories
it was very all wrapped up the way the two kids stories seemed to go together. they ended up having the same antagonist who meets up with them in the end. at first i was like annoyed by the too convenient coincidence of it all but then i guess that one kid said this was the goal all along so when you think about it, it wasn’t much of a coincidence for him. he said he waited like hundreds of years for this moment so that does imply it wasn’t random chance
i was not the biggest fan of the way the older lady’s (sol?) story didn’t really go with the main storyline but i’ll say her story wassss pretty creepy. the creepiest? idk but it was based in a relatable time with dating apps and cell phones in like 2016(?) where the thought of a lil demon creature that sucks onto your skin and slowly kills you is terrifying. and i guess all these stories were from some point in their lives so did she do this to someone? idk. and she just disappears and we don’t find out anything else
i was also confused as to why sol would appear as an old woman and then mido could appear as a kid when he didn’t actually die as a kid. like that implies that you can choose what form from your life to appear as in this realm. so like wouldn’t you think sol would make herself younger too? strange that she didn’t but maybe it just needed to happen that way
the girls story of getting hit by a car was more sad than scary. and i didn’t understand the weirdo villain that just HAD to kill her. like why? for what? he’s just evil? okay
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2025
“This is a story about a person’s death. It just hasn’t happened yet.” Those chilling words set the tone for The Harrowing Game, a striking graphic novel by author and illustrator Antoine Revoy. A young girl makes her way up the steps and into an unfamiliar bathroom, where she’s greeted by a boy in a clawfoot tub and an old woman peering out from the mirror. The boy explains that every night, a game with three players is played. Each takes a turn telling a story to the other two, and the scariest story wins. Each player is assigned a lump of sugar and the winner - who gets to leave the purgatorial bathroom - will be decided by a buzzing fly and which corresponding lump of sugar she feeds on. The three stories that follow are harrowing, indeed. In between each round, the girl remembers a little more about who she is, where she came from, and how she arrived here. And after the final story, a twist of fate delivers a fourth player and the prospect of long-delayed justice. Most unsettlingly, throughout it all an unsuspecting family plays a board game on the ground floor of the house while the game goes on upstairs. While The Harrowing Game may not appeal to every reader, fans of graphic novels in the horror genre will love it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance e-galley of The Harrowing Game.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance e-galley of The Harrowing Game.
June 30, 2025
Three ghosts gather together to see who can tell the spookiest story from their life: whoever tells the scariest tale gets to pass on to the afterlife. But all of their stories share a common enemy, one who is eavesdropping on the ghosts' festivities.
The narrative and illustrative style of this were heavily styled by junji ito, but was lacking in some of that slow eerie build up that puts horror novel readers on edge. I think horror is a difficult genre to pin in a graphic novel, and I think this one slightly missed the mark. The grotesque tale needed more grossness and the other tales didn't strike me as terribly terrifying. An absolutely knock out artist, but I think the story needed more build up.
The narrative and illustrative style of this were heavily styled by junji ito, but was lacking in some of that slow eerie build up that puts horror novel readers on edge. I think horror is a difficult genre to pin in a graphic novel, and I think this one slightly missed the mark. The grotesque tale needed more grossness and the other tales didn't strike me as terribly terrifying. An absolutely knock out artist, but I think the story needed more build up.
May 28, 2025
Ever wondered how lost souls move on? The Harrowing Game is played by souls where they tell each other a story that is judged by a fly. If the fly lands on a soul's sugar pile, that soul wins. Thousands of souls have played for as many years and this round contains three souls who tell their stories. Little do they know that their stories contain a common thread that threatens to end their game.
The graphics of this book are wonderfully done and make you feel like you are living their stories.
Thanks to NetGalley and First Second Books for this terrifying advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
The graphics of this book are wonderfully done and make you feel like you are living their stories.
Thanks to NetGalley and First Second Books for this terrifying advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
May 31, 2025
Is it good things come in threes? Or horrifying things? Perhaps horrifyingly good things.
Read this the day after visiting RISD's Nature Lab with my family, the beauty of flora and fauna striking a death pose for all eternity. Nature's handiwork serving as inspiration for, if not competition against, man-made works art.
Nice little touches through-out this book of graphic and supernatural art, the 2016 BC/AD parallels, and the whole game/set/trap and match - butterfly/story and soul catching. Once upon a white fawn.
Perhaps no coincidence this this came out of a Covid confinement, reaffirming creativity as a very healthy mental, physical and spiritual escape.
Read this the day after visiting RISD's Nature Lab with my family, the beauty of flora and fauna striking a death pose for all eternity. Nature's handiwork serving as inspiration for, if not competition against, man-made works art.
Nice little touches through-out this book of graphic and supernatural art, the 2016 BC/AD parallels, and the whole game/set/trap and match - butterfly/story and soul catching. Once upon a white fawn.
Perhaps no coincidence this this came out of a Covid confinement, reaffirming creativity as a very healthy mental, physical and spiritual escape.
July 11, 2025
This was a fun and fast paced graphic novel. I could tell the author lived in Japan because this felt and looked like a horror manga. I’ve always loved the short story/anthology format for horror and the scary story competition was done well. The stories were pretty tame, but the twists in them and the fact they were all connected was cool. I could see this as more of a YA book instead of adult just because of the fact it didn’t really have any blood, gore, or anything outright horrifying. All in all it’s simple and short and I enjoyed the art!
September 30, 2025
I grabbed this one from my library off the new shelf thinking from the cover it looked like a good read for spooky season hahah I was correct. This is not really a children’s graphic novel like I initially thought from the cover, it definitely scared me a bit ahhaa. I liked the idea of three people having to tell their scary story to escape where they are. And there was a bit of a twist at the end which I liked. I enjoyed the artwork, it was creepy and fit the stories.
I would recommmed this to other scary stories lovers.
I would recommmed this to other scary stories lovers.
August 2, 2025
Three ghosts gather to relate spooky stories; the teller of the scariest tale gets to leave the room.
This was pretty entertaining - a good marriage of art and story, with an unexpected ending.
I've read similar graphics based on a similar theme, and this was definitely the best of the bunch.
This was pretty entertaining - a good marriage of art and story, with an unexpected ending.
I've read similar graphics based on a similar theme, and this was definitely the best of the bunch.
April 4, 2025
I received an ARC from First Second Books via NetGalley. This creepy graphic novel has three interconnected stories with discussion around superstition. The black and white artwork was very alluring. The first story reminded me of Junji Ito’s stories, but the others didn’t live up to that. I wanted a little more depth in the ending, but still a decent creep factor for teens.
April 15, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for my Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.
I absolutely love horror graphic novels and this one did not disappoint. I loved the stark artwork (so much so that I wish the cover was also black and white) and the stories within the book made it impossible to put down until I was finished.
I absolutely love horror graphic novels and this one did not disappoint. I loved the stark artwork (so much so that I wish the cover was also black and white) and the stories within the book made it impossible to put down until I was finished.
June 11, 2025
The Junji Ito vibes reference is spot on, it really felt like reading one of his stories (but with art heavily influenced by Naoki Urasawa). I liked most of the book though I didn't find most of the stories scary - the last bit was also deeply confusing (is the harrowing game real or just a big magical xanatos gambit by spoiler??? why was spoiler after the girl so desperately??) and kind of caused the book to peter out in resolution.
April 2, 2025
Not as scary or gruesome as I'd hoped--especially with a comparison to Junji Ito (though, can anyone really compete with him?). The artwork was great and the first story was very creepy and gross. But the other stories were more odd than scary. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC
June 13, 2025
This was a really interesting premise. Three ghosts are trapped and take turns telling scary stories. whoever tells the scariest story wins and is set free. It was scary, but not too scary. I enjoyed reading it, but afterwards I just feel kind of meh about it.
June 28, 2025
I read this awhile back in arc form and apparently it wasn't something I really liked because I never added it to Goodreads. I just flipped through it again and it reminds me a lot of Are You Afraid of the Dark or Tales from the Crypt. Those stories are always hit or miss as well.
July 8, 2025
3.5*
August 30, 2025
3.5 - Overall enjoyed the stories but wish we could have learned more about each one and what became of certain ones or what happened but they ended.
February 5, 2025
This book was weird in all the right ways! The characters and situations were strange and unsettling. Was a bit disappointed that the ending felt "wrapped up in a bow" so to say. Kind of wanted to mystery to be left unexplained.
April 6, 2025
The Harrowing Game brings together three stand-alone stories whose connections are cleverly revealed by a thrilling conclusion. Antoine Revoy’s artist style is inspired by the detailed linework and grotesque distortions of Junji Ito, but the subtle twists and surprising developments of the stories contribute to the artist’s own unique brand of horror.
The Harrowing Game will delight fans of Junji Ito (and H.P. Lovecraft), and connoisseurs of horror will appreciate Revoy’s intriguing interpretations of familiar tropes. The book’s appeal extends beyond genre, however, especially as the artist twists classic gothic stories into broken reflections of contemporary cultural anxieties. Thankfully, the storytelling is no less dramatic for the sharpness of its social commentary, and it’s a pleasure to get lost in the details of Revoy’s illustrations.
The Harrowing Game will delight fans of Junji Ito (and H.P. Lovecraft), and connoisseurs of horror will appreciate Revoy’s intriguing interpretations of familiar tropes. The book’s appeal extends beyond genre, however, especially as the artist twists classic gothic stories into broken reflections of contemporary cultural anxieties. Thankfully, the storytelling is no less dramatic for the sharpness of its social commentary, and it’s a pleasure to get lost in the details of Revoy’s illustrations.
July 10, 2025
If you're a fan of puzzles and piecing things together, you really gotta check this book out!
I say this because beyond the main mystery of the book, there's also just so many small interlocking details that you may miss on your first read-through. Now, I am really not the kind of person to reread books, especially directly after finishing the book, but I did just that for The Harrowing Game. I read it like 3 times in a row, and every time I did I found great little secrets!
It's hard to not get sucked into reading the book, too--all the times I reread it I was initially just going through and looking for those small secrets, but it's hard to put down once you actually get reading. This is due in no small part to how carefully observed the art is--it's lush with great hand-drawn detail, and the poses and gestures of the figures are so human that you can't help but observe the world as real. My favorite panel in the whole book is my favorite because of that, I look at it and I swear it's one of my memories imprinted on the page (the panel is the last panel on page 64--I went to an art school!).
Of course, this is a horror comic, and don't get the wrong idea: the lovingly human figures I describe juxtapose against strange, slimy, itchy terrors. In fact, my other favorite panel is the huge, eerie splash page on 177. With an amazing sense of cross-hatched lighting and texture, it's very different from the other panel I mentioned. And don't even get me started on the very final pages in the book!
I say this because beyond the main mystery of the book, there's also just so many small interlocking details that you may miss on your first read-through. Now, I am really not the kind of person to reread books, especially directly after finishing the book, but I did just that for The Harrowing Game. I read it like 3 times in a row, and every time I did I found great little secrets!
It's hard to not get sucked into reading the book, too--all the times I reread it I was initially just going through and looking for those small secrets, but it's hard to put down once you actually get reading. This is due in no small part to how carefully observed the art is--it's lush with great hand-drawn detail, and the poses and gestures of the figures are so human that you can't help but observe the world as real. My favorite panel in the whole book is my favorite because of that, I look at it and I swear it's one of my memories imprinted on the page (the panel is the last panel on page 64--I went to an art school!).
Of course, this is a horror comic, and don't get the wrong idea: the lovingly human figures I describe juxtapose against strange, slimy, itchy terrors. In fact, my other favorite panel is the huge, eerie splash page on 177. With an amazing sense of cross-hatched lighting and texture, it's very different from the other panel I mentioned. And don't even get me started on the very final pages in the book!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews